"Howdy Folks"I recently told you that I had a few
worries about our wildlife population around Caledonia, I want to share
them with you now.

A well established turkey hunter
that lives here in Caledonia told me about an happening that he
witnessed while calling turkeys this year. He had just gotten on stand
and started to call when he heard a noise behind him. When he turned to
see what the noise was, he was amazed to see a bobcat stalking a nesting
wood duck. Just as the wood duck took to flight, the bobcat caught her
leaving her nest. This is natures way, a dead duck, a nest of un-hatched
eggs and a satisfied bobcat.

Bobcats are a rare sight in this
area but they are here. They look like a regular house cats but have a
short (bob) tail and hair strands coming out the top of their ears. I
have to remind you hunters and trappers, bobcats are protected in this
area and not open to harvesting. lf you catch one in your traps, if
alive, it has to be released and if dead, it has to be turned over to
the D.E.C. It is not legal to process and sell the fur in this area.

Around the last week of June, I
received a call from a deer hunter that also lives in Caledonia. As he
was coming into Caledonia, on Center Street near Specialized, he saw a
small black bear crossing the road and heading East into the village.
This was about the same time that there was another bear in Henrietta
playing golf. L myself, believe that these two bears were of the same
den and got separated going in different directions. When the D.E.C. was
notified, they said that they had received a couple of calls about this
bear. This bear has been seen in Rush this last week.

Again, you trappers and hunters,
taking of a black bear by any means in this area is not legal. They are
protected and cannot be harvested. When you buy your hunting or trapping
license, you get a book with maps telling you the areas that you can
hunt or trap bears and bobcats. Now that we are getting visits from
these animals, the D.E.C. will be watching out for their health. It is
very costly not to play by the rules.

Next time I will tell you about
the condition of the four different deer herds that we have in and
around Caledonia. Thanks for your time.